Learn To Flip Houses By Watching TV (Really)

You are probably reading this blog to
find out just how ridiculous it’s going to be. If you are a
rehabber, real estate agent, home stager, or involved in
marketing real estate in any way, you might want to read on!

When my family began real estate investing, we were completely
dependent upon a Realtor that we hired to find us good deals.
Do you know what that meant?

MINUSCULE PROFITS!

We found out very quickly that finding a house to fix & flip
through the open market (MLS) was difficult if you wanted to make
a decent profit. Well, we did want to make a decent profit!
After watching hours and hours of “Flip That House”, I was
trained to expect big profits.

Without any marketing tools in our hands, we became very
dependent on the MLS to acquire houses to rehab. Here is
what kept us afloat:

Watching TV

… More specifically, we watched HG TV and any home decorator
shows. The revelation that I received and that became one
of our greatest assets is this: The lifestyle trends of
what people like in their home begins with the TV!
Don’t think it crazy. Where do the popular hair-do’s come from?
Where are people getting the latest wardrobe fashion trends
from? You got it, TV!

By watching and studying home shows and what their designers are
pushing, you can learn what the public is going to gravitate
towards. From the color combinations on walls to the
texture of carpet to the style of toilet, the information that
can be gleaned about what is in style is all right there.
You can also learn about the style or age of different
houses and the best way to effectively design the remodel.

We learned many things that helped us “press the comps” when we
marketed them for sale. For example, we never sell a house
with a screen door blocking the front door. We always
remove the screens from the windows. By just removing these
two items (store them in the garage for the buyer though), we
dramatically improve the curb appeal.

One of the best shows to watch as a fix & flip investor is
“House Hunters”, where an agent would walk retail buyers through
3 houses before they picked one. You would get to hear
their positive and negative feedback on each home.
Absorbing all of this information found itself very useful
when we would rehab. The end result is that you create an
end product that most people are attracted to. Why are they
attracted to it? They saw it on TV!

If you want to get every penny out of your rehab, go watch &
observe & learn from the ones that are setting the standard
for YOUR BUYERS! If your rehab looks like it is
out of HG TV, you will maximize the potential of that house.

So, you can blame me when your family calls you a couch potato.
Just tell them,